Good attitude! It sounds like you have your sh*t together.
I guess that IT is the old RM rating?

If you have a degree you're probably going in as an E-3.
If not, my only advice would be to volunteer yourself for anything that comes up while in boot camp - this includes positions such as section leader, RPOC and AROC.
When the RDC asks if anyone has experience in (whatever) - and you do - raise your hand.

That's probably the better way of doing things. My only advice is this: Do not let them pressure you into taking something you do not want. If they will not give you the rate you want, leave. They can act as mad as they like, but they still have to take you if you come back. Do not accept verbal promises for ****. Get it written into your contract, if you actually sign one. Until you sign that dotted line, they work for you, not the other way around.

Please listen to this advice. They really tried to twist my arm at MEPS to take something I didn't want because the job I was looking for had "no openings". I declined. My recruiter was totally pissed taking me home. Two weeks later they called with an opening for the job I wanted.

At MEPS you are just a number and a body, their job is to get you through and get you in whereever they need you, not necessarily where yolu want to go.

They will do their best to sell you on a rate and tell you how 'critical' it is that they need you there.

Don't believe it, just don't - okay?

listen to chief, this is the absolute best way to phrase what everybody else has been saying.
you'll have plenty of time later to be a number and warm body. don't let it be that way at meps.

oh, and did anybody here ever hear the "it cost the us military 80,000 dollars to process you today and you aren't signing up? you're just gonna waste the taxpayer dollars like that?"
my response was "at 80k a head, it sounds like tax payer dollars are getting waisted no matter what i do."

I am an active duty Chief Petty Officer and everyone here has given great advice.

At MEPS you are just a number and a body, their job is to get you through and get you in whereever they need you, not necessarily where yolu want to go.

They will do their best to sell you on a rate and tell you how 'critical' it is that they need you there.

Don't believe it, just don't - okay?

Wait for what you want, you go in as an E3 with you already having a degree and if you do well enough in A school, you should be an automatic advancement to E4.

Good luck

Roger. Thanks, Chief. I know exactly what I want and I'll do whatever I need to in order to get it. It's been a long road (divorce, injuries, etc.) and now that I'm finally getting my foot in the door I want to do it right.

I did a very similar thing: I'm waiting for FC "A" right now but my original intention on joining was to go SEAL, SWCC or Diver. If there's any way you can get the SEAL contract before starting the IT pipeline or whatever you end up enlisting as, do that. It's really frustrating right now being stuck on holds forever and putting up with a -lot- of bullshit when I feel that I could be preparing for and entering BUD/S instead.

I did a very similar thing: I'm waiting for FC "A" right now but my original intention on joining was to go SEAL, SWCC or Diver. If there's any way you can get the SEAL contract before starting the IT pipeline or whatever you end up enlisting as, do that. It's really frustrating right now being stuck on holds forever and putting up with a -lot- of bullshit when I feel that I could be preparing for and entering BUD/S instead.

Trust me, if I could I would. Unfortunately, the new (stricter) eyesight regulations for SEAL candidates have got me by the balls. There's nothing I can do about it except get on the list ASAP for the Navy to give me eye surgery and that won't happen until after RTC.